Hydrangea
Propagation
Kristen
Spohr
Introduction
A hydrangea is a flowering shrub that is
hardy in the
The
eye-catching shrub has several growing requirements. The ideal temperature for
hydrangea growth should range from 60-80oF. The shrub also requires moist and well
drained soils. It likes partial shade
and blooms from mid summer to fall. Depending
on the soil ph, the flower color can vary.
The flowers will be bluer when the soil ph is more acidic and when
having more basic ph soils the flower color is pinker. Hydrangeas can grow anywhere from 3-6ft tall
and spread from 3-6ft.
Hydrangea
Propagation
Propagation of the hydrangea is mainly
done by softwood cuttings. Propagation can
be done by putting the cutting into water until roots form. However, it takes a lot of patients and is
sometimes it is difficult to develop roots.
The faster way to propagate hydrangeas is with the help of a plant
growth hormone. A plant growth hormone
will increase the amount time it takes to develop roots.
1) 
The first step in propagation is to
obtain your cuttings. The cutting should
be taken from non-flowering green woody stems and cut at the base. One stem should provide about five good
cuttings. Each cutting should have at
least one leaf node or terminal bud. It is important not to damage the buds
while obtaining the cuttings. The best
time to harvest the cuttings is in the mornings from May-June or any time that
the plant is not wilting.
2) The next step is to
prepare your media. The media should
consist of one part peat and one part medium to fine grade perlite,
vermiculite, or sand. Sand is an excellent idea because it allows good
drainage. It is a good idea to moisten
the media before putting into the pots, this helps in the prevention of soil
drying out and developing diseases.
3) The next step is to
dip your cutting into your rooting hormone.
Rooting hormones can be purchased at your local garden center. The most common hormone is IBA, and the
typical amount used for hydrangea propagation is 10,000 ppm
or 2%. Once you have the plant growth
hormone prepared you can dip your cutting into the hormone. It is recommended that you place 1-2inches of
the proximal end of the cutting into the hormone. Then place the cutting (up to the leaves)
into the sterile media.
4) Now you are ready to plant
the cuttings into the media. The first step is to cut the bottom leaf nodes
off. Next you want to cut the leaves of
your cutting down to about half the size.
This step is done because you don’t want your leaves touching each other
in the pots, which can cause rotting.
5) Spray the plant until
wet but don’t over water it. Watering is
important for the first week, three times a day is recommended for the first
week. Don’t place the plant in direct
sunlight or wind. The key to watering is
to water when top soil feels dry. Good
drainage is also important to your cuttings.
6) After you have
watered your plants cover the cuttings and pots with plastic, making sure that
the leaves are not touching the plastic.
After
a few weeks of carefully watering and appropriate sunlight you should see
growth from your cuttings. The plants
will continue to grow. Hydrangeas are
fairly easy to root and create growth. Hydrangeas also can be used for floral
arrangements and dried for crafts. Enjoy
your newly propagated flowering shrub.
References
Google Imagines. http://images.google.com/
Horticulture Magazine. http://www.hortmag.com/
Hydrangeas!
Hydrangeas! http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/index.html
Kennedy’s
Spring Meadow Nursery. http://www.pottedliners.com/
White Flower Farm. http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com
